Method of removing lint from textile machines



y 1957 c. DE v. MILLER ETAH 2,798,825

' METHOD OF REMOVING LINT FROM TEXTILE; MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 27,1950 4Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Carroll de V- Miller A Franc/S N-Becker-- y 1957 c. DE v. MILLER ETAL 2,798,825

METHOD OF REMOVING LINT FROM TEXTILE MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 2'7,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Carroll de M Miller 4 Francis N- Becker,

BY 7a ICHE'K WA 775, EOGERIO/H N-NE/VM' y 1957 c. DE v. MILLER ET AL2,798,825

I METHOD'OF REMOVING LINT FROM. TEXTILE MACHINES ori ina Filed D sc, 27,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet s y 1957 c DEV. MILLER ETAL 2,798,825

METHOD OF REMOVING LINT FROM TEXTILE MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 27.1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TORS Carroll de V- Hider- AQ Francis A/-Becker.

63 E/cHEY, WATT-S, EDGEKTOMQM-NEMNY United States Patent M METHOD 0FREMOVING LINT FROM TEXTILE MAQE'HNES Carroll de V. Miller, Rocky River,and Francis N. Becker,

Lakewood, @hio, assignors to The American Mono- Rail Company, Cleveland,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application December 27, 1950,Serial No. 202,856, new Patent No. 2,729,845, dated January 10, 1956.Divided and this application February 11, 1955, Serial No. 487,602

Claims. (Cl. 134--37) This invention relates to the art of cleaningtextile machinery and is particularly concerned with a new method offreeing a loom of lint and maintaining it in substantially lint-freecondition.

Heretofore, there has been no automatic apparatus for cleaning looms sofar as we know. The practice has always been for an operator to wipeaccumulated lint ofl? the various parts of the loom from time to timewhen the accumulation became so large that it interfered with theweaving operation. Although it has long been recognized that it would behighly desirable to have apparatus which would automatically free a loomof lint and keep it in clean condition, no one has heretofore devisedany apparatus which was satisfactory for that purpose.

This invention provides a new method of cleaning looms by which one ormore looms may be kept substantially free from lint without interferingin any way whatever with the intended operation of the loom.

The present invention will be better understood by those skilled in theart from the following description taken with the drawings whichaccompany this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the presentinvention shown in its association with a loom;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view ofthe apparatus and loom of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the form of the inventionshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3 with parts brokenaway;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 3 with partsbroken away; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, side view, partly in section of a modified formof fan housing and nozzle actuating means.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 6 includes a monorail track 1suspended over a loom 2 of a row of looms and serving as a runway fortrolleys 3 which support a carriage 4 below the track.

Two motors 5 are attached to the carriage 4 on the under side thereofand the extended rotor shafts 6 of these motors project in oppositedirections from the remote ends of the motors. Each shaft 6 has a fan '7affixed to its end. The carriage, motors and fans are positioned abovethe arch G of the loom and move lengthwise of the loom harness F. Eachfan is enclosed in a housing d which has an axial air intake 9 and aperipheral nozzle outlet 10 disposed to direct air downwardly beside theharness. Each housing 8 has plate 11 onv its side opposite the intake 9and this plate is attachedto a cylinder 12 which carries bearings 13supported on shafts 6. Thus, each housing may be rotated about the rotorshaft 6 so as to change the direction of streams of air issuing fromoutlets 10.

The motors a are energized by current brought to Cff them throughconductors 15 connected to collectors 16 which engage electricallyenergized bus bars 17 above track 1.

Each cylinder 12 has a threaded post 2%) extending radially outwardtherefrom at substantially a right angle to the axis of the rotor shaft6. Links 21 disposed at substantially right angles to the axes of therotor shafts 6 are adjustably connected at one end to posts 20 and atthe other end to plates 22 which are pivotally supported on pins 23depending from the carriage 4. A rod 25 disposed at substantially rightangles to link 21 is slidably mounted in bearings 26 on the under sideof carriage 4 and is connected at its opposite ends to plates 22. Stops27 attached to rod 25 serve to engage the adjacent bearing 26alternately to limit the extent of end- Wise movement of rod 25. Collars28 are connected to shaft 25 in spaced relation and between them ismounted a sleeve 29 which is slidable on the rod 25 and is disposedbetween the adjacent ends of two springs 30 the remote ends of whichabut against collars 28. Sleeve 29 has an upwardly projecting pin 31which is disposed in the bifurcated end of arm 35 which is mounted onpivot 36 and is connected to a bar 37 disposed at sub stantially rightangles thereto. The ends of bar 37 are tapered as indicated at 33 toengage with lugs 39 depending from plates 4 which are pivotallyconnected to carriage 4 by pivots 41 and are connected at their freeends by spring 42.

As is shown in Fig. 5, pivot 36 extends up through carriage 4 and iskeyed to a lever 45 which is pivotally connected at its ends to the endsof links 46. These links are connected intermediate their ends by aspring 47 and are also connected by two links 48 pivoted thereto and toeach other. One of these links 48 has a lost motion slot 49 in which apin connected to the other link slides. The slot carrying link ispivotally connected at its free end to pusher bar 55 by pin 51. The freeends of links 46 are beveled as indicated at 56 to engage with thepusher bar 55.

Pusher bar 55 is connected to the end of pusher ro 57 which is slidablymounted in bearings 58 on top of carriage 4 and at its outer end carriesa roller 59 to engage with an abutment (not shown) fixed along the track1.

The operation of the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 6, if not entirely clearfrom the foregoing detailed description of the various parts thereof andtheir relation to one another, will be fully understood from thefollowing brief description. When the carriage 4 is moving along track 1and current is being supplied to motors 5 with resultant rotation offans 7, streams of air will be blown through outlets 19 of each of thehousings 3. Since the housings are initially set so that the streams ofair are directed downwardly at different angles to the vertical, thesestreams will trace different, separate paths across the loom 2 onopposite sides of the harness F as the carriage moves over the loom atsubstantially right angles to the warp, i. e., parallel to the warp beamB and cloth roll C. When the carriage next approaches the loom, roller59 will engage the fixed abutment and thereby will move pusher rod 57endwise and press pusher bar 55 against the beveled end 56 of one of thelinks 46. The pressure of bar 55 on link 46 turns lever 45 about thecenter line of pin 36 and this turning movement shifts the other link 46and links 48 and 49 and moves the pivotal connection between links 48and 49 to the other side of the centerline of pusher rod 57.Simultaneously the link 46 is moved out of engagement with pusher bar 45and the other link 46 is brought into engagement therewith. Since arm 35and bar 37 are keyed to pivot 36, these parts will shift simultaneouslywith lever 45, this shifting movement being resisted by spring 42 which2,798,825 Patented July. 9, 1957' presses lugs 39 against the taperedends 3 8 of bar 37. The turning movement of arm 35 about the center lineof pivot..36..moves sleeve 29- toward the right asseen in Fig. 6,thereby compressing the right-hand spring 30 and urging rod 25 enclwisetoward the right in that figure.

Asrod 25- moves endwise, it rotates plates 22 about their pivot pin 23and these plates move links .21 endwise and thereby rotate cylinders 12about motor shafts 6 with the. result that each of the housings 8 willbe shifted or rotated through a short angular distance about shaft-6-andthe directions of the streams of air issuing from. outlets 16 will .bechanged. In other words, when the carriage moves across a given loom thestreams of air will blow downwardly from a level above the arch of'theloom and on opposite sides of the hardness F in directions to trace twodifferent, separate paths across the loo 9. and, onthe next passage ofthe carriage over the loom, the housings will be shifted so that the airstreams will then trace different, separate paths across the loom. Onthe next trip over the loom the streams will. be vshifted back to theoriginal paths.

Thus, two streams of air may each be caused to trace two paths acrossthe loom, each path being equal to about /4 of the distance from thewarp beam to the edge of the cloth over the cloth roll and in the nextpassage of the carriage over the loom, the streams of air may be shiftedso as to trace two other paths each equal in width to the width of thefirst pair of paths and covering the half of the loom not covered by thefirst two paths. Conveniently, in the first passage of the carriage overthe loom one stream D may extend from the warp beam about haif way tothe harness F and the other stream E may extend from the harness tobeyond the path of the shuttle, that is, about half way to the edge ofthe cloth above the cloth roll. On the next passage of the carriage iover the loom the first stream of air may be shifted to the position Dso that it will extend from the harness F about half way to the warpbeam and the other stream B will extend from the edge of the cloth overthe cloth roll beyond the path of the shuttle andabout half Way to theharness.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of housing and nozzle shifting means. Inthis figure the apparatus is generally the same as that shown in Figs. 1to 6, the principal difference being in the details of construction ofthe housing and its shifting means.

The link 21!; is connected to a threaded post 20a which is fixed at itsends in a bracket 60. The motor 511 has a rotor shaft 6a which projectsonly a short distance beyond the motor housing as compared with motorshaft 6 of Fig. 2.- A disk 61. carries a bearing 61:: which is mountedon shaft 6a so that the disk may remain fixed while the shaft rotates.Posts 62 are afiixed to the motor housing and to disk 61 to support andprevent the plate from rotating. At its outer periphery disk 61 issurrounded by two rings 63, each substantially half as thick as the disk61. Housing 8a, which is substantially like housing 8 of Figs. 1 to 6,inclusive, is secured to the outer periphery of these rings 63. Theserings are connected together (by means not shown) and are attached tobracket 60 as by cap screws 64. The outer periphery of disk 61 and theinner peripheries of rings 63 are cut away to provide a runway for ballbearings 65. Rods 21a may be actuated cndwise by means substantiallylike the means shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and including cam 22, rod 25 androd 57.

When the housing shifting mechanism including rod 25, cam 22 and link21are shifted as described above in connection with Figs. l to 6, rings 63are moved rotatively on disk 61 and shift housing 8a rotatably on thatdisk so as to trace paths across the loom as described in connectionwith apparatus of Figs. 1 to 6.

It will be understood that the extent of shifting of the housings Sand8a depends on the location of the link 2 1 or 21a on posts 20 orzilqfrespectiveiy. When either of these rods is logated near theouterend-of, its post the angle through which the housing is shifted isat its maximumand when the connectionof either rod isnear the inner endof its post the angularity of the shifting of the housing is at itsminimum. Thus, by adjusting the position of the connection ofthe linkson the posts, any desired angularity of shifting of the streams of airmay be obtained withirrthe limits permitted by the adjustment of therods on the posts.

The volume and velocity of air which is delivered to the loomarecritical. Ifthevolume or velocity is too great the air will actuatethe stop. motions and shut down the loom; and, on the warp side of theloom, will blow down throughnth enwarp and onto the floor where it willstir up lint andblow it toward other machines; and on the cl'oth side ofthe loom there will be much more air than the operators desire. We havefound that when the :air stream at thecloth level of the loom has alineal speed .of betweenabout ltlOQ and about 2,800 feet per minute andavolurneiofbetween about 800 and about 1,200 cubicfe et perminute, theloom will be effectively and satisfactorily cleaned and will continue tooperate properly. Air in smaller volume or at lower velocity, or both,will beflin'etfec'tive cleaning the parts of the loom beneath the warpwhile air in greater amounts or at greater velocity, or both, willactuate the stop motions andcreate undesired conditions. In general, thevelocity may bathe, samef or both the warp and cloth sides of the loonbut the volnrne should be a little less for the cloth side than for tlrewarp. side. The foregoing limits include these variations.

The volume and velocity of air at the cloth level may be variedlwithinthe foregoing limits in various ways. If a given blower installa tiondelivers too great a volume of air, the yolurnemaybe decreased byfitting a ring into the intake opening, as opening 9 of Fig. 4, theradial width of this ringbein g such as to reduce the air taken insufliciently to bring the voluinekofair delivered through the outletopening downto the, desired amount. In other words, by varyin g the sizeof the intake with what might be called adapter rings, the volume of airdelivered at the cloth level ,Inaybevaricd as desired.

If it is desired to vary the velocity of the air at the cloth level,this may be, doneby varying the distance between the outlet nozzle ofthe fan housing and the cloth level oftlre loom, If the velocity at thecloth level is to be increased with a given blower installation, theblower may be lowered closer to the arch of the loom or the same effectmay be obtained by providing the nozzle with an, extension whichreleases the air closer to the arch of the loom. Similarly, if thevelocity at the cloth level is to be decreased, the blower installationmay be moved farther away from the arch of the loom or the outlet fromthe fan housing may beeffec tively raised by taking away removableextensions thereof This applicationis a division of our copendingapplicationSerial No 2 0 2,856, filed December 27, 1950, now Patent No.2,729,845, issued January 10, 1956.

Having thus desc u ibled the present invention so that others skilled inthe 'art may be able to understand and practice .the same, we state thatwhat we desired to secure by Lettersil ateiitl is definedin what isclaimed.

What is claimedis: V

1. The method of removing lint from looms which comprisesthe stepsofcreating a stream. of air and dirccting it downwardly onto the warp of arow of looms on one side ofjthe loom harnesses, while repeatedly movingsaid streani so that it travels across the,looms and comes into contactwith substantially all parts of the warp between the warp rcillsandtheharnesses, said stream of air having, at the" ieter'jan "areasubstantially less in length'than thewidthof the warp at the warp rolland substantially less than the'distance from the warp roll to the,harness, said stream having a velocity and volume sufficient to passbetween the warp strands and remove lint from loom parts below the warpbut insufiicient to actuate the stop motions of the loom, the velocityof said stream, at the warp level, being between about 2,000 and about2,800 feet per minute.

2. The method of removing lint from looms which comprises the steps ofcreating a stream of air and directing it downwardly onto the warp of arow of looms on one side of the loom harnesses, while repeatedly movingsaid stream so that it travels across the looms and comes into contactwith substantially all parts of the warp between the warp rolls and theharnesses, said stream of air having, :at the warp level, an areasubstantially less in length than the width of the warp at the warp rolland substantially less in width than the distance from the warp roll tothe harness, said stream having a velocity and volume sufficient to passbetween the warp strands and remove lint from loom parts below the warpbut insufficient to actuate the stop motions of the loom, the volume ofsaid stream, at the warp level, being between about 800 and about 1,200cubic feet per minute, the velocity of the stream being at least about2,000 feet per minute.

3. The method of removing lint from looms which comprises \the steps ofcreating a stream of air and blowing it downwardly onto the warp of arow of looms on one side of the loom harnesses, while repeatedly movingsaid stream so that it travels across the looms and comes into contactwith substantially all parts of the warp between the harnesses and thecloth, said stream of air having, at the warp level, an areasubstantially less in length than the width of the cloth andsubstantially less in width than the distance from the cloth roll to theharness, said stream having a velocity and volume sufiicient to passbetween the warp strands and remove lint from loom parts below the warpbut insufficient to actuate the stop motions of the loom, the velocityof said stream being between about 2,000 and about 21,800 feet perminute.

4., The method of removing lint from looms arranged in a row with thelongitudinal axes of their arches, warp and cloth rolls in approximatealignment respectively which comprises the steps of blowing downwardlyon opposite sides of the loom harnesses streams of air each having, atthe warp level, a width substantially less than distance from theharness to the adjacent roll, a velocity of between about 2,000 andabout 2,800 feet per minute and a volume of between about 800 and about1,200 cubic feet per minute and repeatedly moving said streams acrossthe loom transversely of the warp.

5. The method of removing lint from looms arranged in -a row with thelongitudinal axes of their arches, warp and cloth rolls in approximatealignment respectively which comprises the steps of blowing downwardlyon opposite sides of the loom harnesses streams of air each having, atthe warp level, a width substantially less than the distance from theharness to the adjacent roll, a velocity of between about 2,000 andabout 2,800 feet per minute and a volume of between about 800 and about1,200 cubic feet per minute, repeatedly moving said streams across theloom transversely of the warp, and repeatedly blowing said streamsthrough substantially all parts of the warp from the warp roll to thecloth by moving the air streams toward and away from the harness.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,447,418 Kenney Mar. 6, 1923 1,517,961 Cummings Dec. 2, 1924 1,857,410Smith May 10, 1932 1,920,768 Smith Aug. 1, 1933

2.THE METHOD OF REMOVING LINT FROM LOOMS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OFCREATING A STREAM OF AIR AND DIRECTING IT DOWNWARDLY ONTO THE WARP OF AROW OF LOOMS ON ONE SIDE OF THE LOOM HARNESS, WHILE REPEATLY MOVING SAIDSTREAM SO THAT IT TRAVELS ACROSS THE LOOMS AND COMES INTO CONTACT WITHSUBSTANTIALLY ALL PARTS OF THE WARP BETWEEN THE WARP ROOLS AND THEHARNESS, SAID STREAM OF AIR HAVING, AT THE WARP LEVEL, AN AREASUBSTANTIALLY LESS IN LENGTH THAN THE WIDTH OF THE WARP AT THE WARP ROOLAND SUBSTANTIALLY LESS IN WIDTH THAN THE DISTANCE FROM THE